Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Truth, Subjectivity, and Complexity

Our culture's overall understanding, call it realization or deception, that truth is subjective has given way for many people to manipulate and distort the truth. Subjectivity does not necessitate but gives way to relativism, where corrections cannot be made and "proof" cannot be trusted. This, I would say, is what has led to subsequent cynicism in our culture. We need to first dedicate ourselves to honesty and truth, then to calling out and identifying lies where corrections need to be made.

The problem is, in a society of subjectivity, we have realized that the world is contextual and that we must be willing to accept the whole truth with all its' complexity and subjectivity in order to accept any truth. It's because of the complexity of truth in a postmodern world that I think many have chosen to believe in no truth at all. Many Christians have decided to go backwards, denying contextuality and subjectivity altogether and consequently rendering themselves incoherent to a postmodern culture while clinging to existence by proclaiming all others as false prophets. We have either been burdened or entrusted (depending on how optimistic you are) with the task of moving not backward but forward into the perplexity of culture and complexity of reality. We have the difficult task before us, to present truth, corrections, and "proofs" in their fullness--admitting our subjectivity and uncertainty. If we work through this together we may find that on the other side of subjectivity, relativism need not be found, rather, we may find that we can make more true and more profound truth claims than we ever could have when we still believed that the world was tidy and black & white. We may find that truth need not be objective to still be called truth and that uncertianty might give way to a humility without which truth is wasted even if it is discovered.

Quote of the "Day"

"Peace will come through dialogue, through trust and respect for others who are different, through inner strength and a spirituality of love, patience, humility, and forgiveness. Little by little, a culture of competition will be transformed into a culture of welcome and mutual respect." -Jean Vanier